A simple thanks to all the people that have made it possible for me to be an entrepreneur. There are few more fulfilling things in life than finding one's calling. And, for millions of entrepreneurs around the world, that's precisely what it is.

A special thanks to all the people that have joined existing startups and small businesses. Joining an existing effort requires risk and a degree of selfnessness. You are all entrepreneurs in my book for one simple reason: You're crazy enough to join a merry band of misfits even though it makes absolutely no sense. You're my kind of crazy. Cheers.

12 Things Entrepreneurs Should Be Thankful For

1. Customers.

2. Getting to pick the exceptional people we work with.

3. An opportunity to add value, big or small, to people's lives.

4. Not having to ask permission to try something crazy.

5. The patience and understanding of our family and friends — especially when we likely don't deserve it.

6. Receiving payment for value delivered. There's no feeling like it.

7. The joy of seeing a sliver of light after some dark, dark, days.

8. The freedom to change what's not working. It's sometimes painful, but at least it's possible.

9. Not having to rationalize to your family and friends why you took that Wall Street investment banking job.

10. Day 2,743, when the world celebrates your “overnight success”

11. The pleasure of helping team members create memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. Most of them good.

12. The chance to try. To fail. To try again and flail around. Then, with some luck, to flourish.

Great list! I'd add one more thing: to actually be the one who is able to create meaningful change in our surroundings and be a source of inspiration for others around us. All this can happen in other circumstances too, but its a great feeling that as an entrepreneur you are generally acknowledged of it and are thankful for.

Freedom of expression .... being the person who we are...like a bird! :)

alan clayton

I'm grateful for the fact that no matter how many times things don't work out, its only a matter of time before another amazingly seductive, shiny, sparkly, twinkling business concept will form between my ears....

Thankful for the ability to take risks, fail, take more risks, fail again, and again, then flourish beyond expectations, then fail, fail again, and then flailing around in mediocrity while waiting to take the next big risk to flourish beyond expectations.

Very thankful for family who have helped me a lot along the way but especially in the very beginning. Mom and dad let me crash with them when I was single and bootstrapping, and then, my spouse picked up the slack after we got married. Any one of them could've told me to give up and get a paying job.

I have been a self employed entrepeneur for over 30 years, 25 of those years in the insurance industry. My list would include the joy I receive from working with new business owners to solve their insurance needs so that they too can follow their dreams!

And your #2 is correct ~ we have the best brokers in the industry and they really love what they do~ I enjoy working with them. Bottom line ~ I would not do anything else!

I'm with Richard. To know that you are doing what you love, can build it your way (with mistakes and successes), come and go as you please, living a longer life because you're "living", and when you die know that you gave it your all and led a full and productive life - with no regrets.

Excellent list! I'm not an entrepreneur, but am one of those crazies who took the plunge and ended a 10 year comfortable career to join a rag-tag early stage start-up.

I would also add being thankful for the incredible amount of learning experienced in a short period of time, working in an environment where failure means opportunity, and where the wins taste so much more delicious because of how hard you worked to get there.

Thankful for (1) a wife that has hung in there like a champ during this start-up process, (2) two young daughters that continue to encourage me and inspire me, and ask me innocent, but hard questions that make me look at and think about how and why I do the crazy things I do to add value, (3) being healthy at a time when health insurance was not an option... Whew.... so much stuff to be thankful for! Thanks for bringing up the topic!

I too am grateful for all of the above and for having so many amazing groups and people to connected with (this being one of them clearly) and I am most grateful for knowing that there is MORE than enough for every single one of us that our abundance is nurtured by our state of mind. Our success starts with our courage (and as entrepreneurs, we clearly have that) to really allow that burning desire to come to the surface and to take action on it. Not someday...but TODAY! I am grateful for those who remind me on a daily basis that the business and the life I so desire is happening! I wish that for all of you as well! Happy Thanksgiving everyone! To your bliss and to your success! SM xo

I am thankful that I have opportunities to live my passions, to contribute to issues that beset us all, and to offer products and services that add value to society, does not harm individuals, communities, the environment or the planet.

Great List THANK YOU Dharmesh. There are so many things that I am thankful everyday but the most of all the support of the family, friends, strangers that becomes family and friend so we create a strong community.

So many people don't really get how it feels to truly dream. They don't know what it means to see, feel, taste, and desire something so much to the point of crazyness. I'm a 'crazy' and proud of it! Great comments guys!

I love the list, especially #10: Day 2,743, when the world celebrates your “overnight success”

The freedom to work when and where I want is what I am most thankful for. I'm spending about 30 extra hours a week on my dream than when I worked in corporate, and also make significantly less. Yet, I have never been happier!

Thank you for sharing this list! I actually agree that it covers mainly everything except the freedom to innovate without dealing with a "big corporation bureaucracy" :D

Alex

I am thankful that every day I can excercise my creative energy focused entirely on how to make things better for my customers. Its not as spritual as giving to others, but nothing come close to the feeling of customers being truly thankful they did business with my company.

Amitabh

Awesome stuff man!!! Great list. I would like to add another one to it:

Thanks to all ex-bosses who helped us in understanding the nitty-gritties of business and may be some of them are the reason why we took a plunge!!!

Nice List... But I liked the last one 12)The chance to try. To fail. To try again and fail around. Then, with some luck, to flourish. Here in my case there is always failure time rather than success or luck...

Alexandra Carton

GREAT LIST!!! Thank you for sending - motivated and reminded me of why I am still in this business myself!! THANKS and GOBBLE GOBBLE!!

I am grateful for the support of fellow entrepreneurs - peers and mentors!!!

We just started on the journey and it has been incredible to see teh spirit of community! And by the way - help us win the battle for the top spot on the global start up weekend site - vote for us at www.mybesthelper.com

I'm thankful for the opportunity to lead and inspire others by example and for the ability to write off lot's of stuff:) I'm also thankful for the technological innovation that allows me to do my work from virtually anywhere at any time Mark

Brendon

Quite simple...the freedom to choose and be responsable for your own actions!

Fiona Hamilton

Fabulously inspiring list.

For me I give thanks for the passion and vision that only fellow entrepreneurs understand. It is that which drives us through exhaustion, long hours, hiccoughs twist and wiggles to the goal. Happy Thanksgiving All !

Jo Ann

Being thankful the client is happy with the service provided.

Brendon Miskell

Entrepreneurs dare to live the "creative life". Regardless of your religious persuasion or beliefs humans have endowed within them at birth this creativity, our innate talents belong not just to ourselves but give us an opportunity to change the world of those we love and care for, therefore it is a duty to use them to the fullest extent possible, this is our legacy - to live, to love, to look forward to, to learn and to leave something of value behind in others when we are no longer here - this is living, this is what it is to truly alive and "awake" to life's opportunities and ones destiny - sounds deep but its also very true and I hope it inspires you to even greater commitment to the entrepreneurial mindset and lifestyle

SV

Please add: "To make something out of nothing"

Dharmesh Shah

Thanks everyone for stopping by leaving your comments. Lots of good ideas here!

Special thanks to Brian Halligan (my co-founder) who stopped by and left a nice comment. Brian has to suffer my quirks and still says nice things anyway.

Great Dharmesh! What I am most grateful for is how every challenge makes me grow as a person - there is just no better teacher than that! And as I grow, I laugh more and more especially about myself! And when that passion of creation touches my life and the life of others - pure joy! Thanks for that.

Vinay

Thanks for this inspirational drive, Dharmesh.

I agree to all 12 of yours and all of the above added ones :)

I am thankful to be able to write my own destiny. I am thankful that I do not have to justify anyone why I work when I want to work and when I don't work when I don't want to :)

Vuyo

Great list, I see you included customers in your list - I just want to add, the first big customer whose brand is a force to reckon with in the market and the pride to add this to your list of clients knowing they had the confidence to give you, as a start up entrepreneur, an opportunity to showcase your skills and capabilities!

Like so many that have stated that there is so much to be thankful for. By having the chance to write you're own to dream and write your own rules, to help others, meet incredible people along the way, and make a difference--is a blessing from God.

FREEDOM! Freedom of thought, freedom to implement those thoughts without having to get it ok'd by anyone else, freedom to create jobs for others (or delete them for unsuccessful employees!), freedom of speech, freedom to 18 to 20 hours a day if I want (or freedom to take a break), freedom to pick and choose my family time (or not! haha!) and MOST IMPORTANTLY freedom to pick and choose my customers too!

I'm thankful for the ones (family, friend, colleagues ) who on day 3,457 don't let you give up and remind you of the vision when it seems clouded by the challenges you face.

Jennifer McKechnie

Great list - I have to say #3 is what truely motivates me to keep going. As a First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor, teaching people how to save a life is a powerful and important way to add value to others lives.

I am thankful for the support of fellow entrepreneurs and my customers...I have a unique site and just started, but getting a wonderful response thus far. I hope to connect with more fellow veterans in 2012!!

Thank you for the list, I'm thankful for all of my twitter followers, and for those who checked LIKE on my facebook business page Lucubrate I'm also thankful to be able to lucubrate to work on my business

I am so very thankful for the support network that people like Dharmesh, Jean Hammond and Katie Rae have established here in Boston. There's not many industries where successful leaders are willing to go the extra mile to create more competition.

And I'm thankful for my kids telling me "mom, for goodness sake go back to work" after I sold my last company.

As well as running a highly technical business I have also started a songwriting business and alraedy been very successful getting close to the final of UK Songwriting competition for the last two years. When you learn that life is too short to procrastinate you just go for it and try it. If you don't you will never know! I have alwyas loved singimg

Here is the link to my new song on Soundcloud http://t.co/akFN72W

Godwin Archibong

I am thankful to God for entrepreneurial depth and insight and also to every comment posted. Just was about to give up on a business when i read Dharmesh and others say failure is part of the flourishing and growth process.I am liking this community...am inspired

Simply put, in a start-up you grow in ways you never will in an established company. No two days are the same, and you have opportunity after opportunity to make critical decisions to change direction without excessive approval processes.

I am thankful to have had the opportunity to talk with Jay Forrester, who encouraged me to keep on my path despite the fact that people around me diminish my work. "Just do it for yourself. You will learn a lot!"